Famous Horror Movie Soundtracks

Film soundtracks are a thing of the new era, and the best score is normally the one that you don’t notice at all. However, most memorable movie music announces itself and creates an unforgettable link with the film. Who can forget the notes that accompany Jaws, or the trumpets that herald Star Wars? There are many pieces that remain in our minds, and conjure up images from the movies, both happy and sad moments. They draw us into a scene and create an atmosphere that remains with us. Lingering sounds or sweeping orchestral music take us right back to the moment and recapture the excitement or the emotion that we experienced when watching the film. The secret of every great movie is its accompanying soundtrack.

The Secret Of The Soundtrack

Horror movie soundtracks are a classic example, often using creepy synths and Gothic rock to create the ultimate suspense and raise fear levels. Metal music would not exist today without Hammer Films, or the 1960s European horror films. horror films and heavy metal made an unholy pact and filmmakers became directly influenced by heavy metal music. Bone-chilling soundtracks are creepy even without watching any visuals, and tracks from The Return of the Living Dead or Trick or Treat will remain favourites with all horror movie fans. The shower scene in Psycho, with its accompanying thrilling strings, or Mike Oldfield’s ‘Tubular Bells’ from The Exorcist, immediately conjure up the psychological fear and suspense of the action-packed thrillers. Even silence can be used effectively, with the sounds of feet on creaking boards, or heavy breathing. They all make our experience that much scarier and raise the adrenaline levels.

The Apprehension Engine

Is there a secret to making spine-chilling music? Historically not. However, someone has created an amazing instrument purely to create the sounds that make us hide behind cushions when watching a great horror movie. It is called “The Apprehension Engine”, and is designed specifically for horror movie soundtracks. Built with metal rulers, a spring reverb and numerous metal attachments, it produces terrifying and unnerving sounds. It may well be the next thing that you listen to from the edge of your seat. There are many software tools available online from companies like propellerheads.se, if you fancy making some spine-tingling tracks yourself. They are very easy to use and require no actual knowledge of musical instruments. You may even be able to create a new revenue stream from the creation of some truly memorable horror movie scores!